Fall Protection for Construction

1. Fall Protection for Construction

2. Learning Objectives • At the end of this presentation, you will: • Have knowledge and skills needed for fall hazards • Plan and work safely when hazards are present

3. Agenda • Today’s agenda: • Overview • Fall protection strategies • Types of equipment for fall arrest systems • Your responsibilities

4. Section 1 Overview

5. The Hazards of Working at Heights • Frequently cited OSHA provisions are failure to: • Protect workers from falls of 6 feet or more • Protect workers from falling into floor openings • Provide guardrails on runways and ramps

6. The Hazards of Working at Heights • Hazards causing most fall-related injuries: • Unprotected sides, wall openings, and floor holes • Improper scaffold construction • Unguarded protruding steel rebar • Misuse of portable ladders

7. Employee Training • Training is required in the following areas: • The nature of fall hazards • Correct procedures for erecting, maintaining, disassembling, and inspecting fall protection systems • Use and operation of protection devices • Roles in safety monitoring and fall protection plan • Limitation of equipment

8. Employee Training • Refresher training is required if there are: • Changes in the workplace • Changes in the types of fall protection systems • Inadequacies in an affected employee's knowledge

9. Control Measures • Control measures used to for serious hazards: • Perform work at ground level • Restrain worker so they can not reach the edge • Use aerial lifts • Use control line and personal fall arrest systems • Cover holes as they are created

10. Section 2 Fall Protection Strategies

11. Fall Protection Strategies • Fall protection strategies include: • Guardrails • Safety nets • Personal fall arrest systems • Warning lines • Controlled access zones • Safety monitoring • Covers • Fall protection plans

12. Guardrail Systems • A barrier to prevent employee falls to lower levels: • Specific requirements • Height of top rails shall be 42 inches plus or minus 3 inches above working level • Must withstand force of at least 200 pounds

13. Safety Net • Safety nets must have: • Border rope for webbing • Minimum breaking strength of 5,000 pounds • Installations must be tested: • After initial installation or major repair • Before being used • Whenever relocated • At 6-month intervals if left in one place • Inspected for deterioration at least once weekly

14. Personal Fall Arrest System • Personal fall arrest system must: • Stop employee falls from working levels • Limit maximum arresting force to 1,800 lbs • Be rigged • Complete stop and limit maximum deceleration • Have strength to withstand twice the potential impact energy

15. Warning Line System • Roof barrier warning of side or edge: • Warning lines shall consist of • Ropes • Wires • Chains • Supporting stanchions

16. Controlled Access Zones • Controlled access zone is permitted only in: • Overhand brick laying and related work • As part of a Fall Protection Plan for leading edge work; precast concrete work; or residential construction work • Controlled access zone should: • Consist of ropes, wires, tapes, or equivalent and supporting stanchions • Be flagged • Be rigged and supported • Have minimum breaking strength of 200 pounds

17. Safety Monitoring • Safety monitoring permitted when employees: • Are engaged in low slope roofing work • Are covered by written fall protection plan • Employer designated competent person must: • Be able to recognize hazards • Monitor working or walking surfaces • Be within a visual sight and communication • Not be distracted from duties

18. Covers • Covers protect employees from falls through holes: • Holes should be covered or guarded as soon as they are created during new construction • Sites should be surveyed before working • Continually audit as work continues • Should support two times the weight of employees

19. Fall Protection Plan • Written fall protection plan must state: • Why conventional fall protection systems cannot be used where the fall hazard is present • Measures taken to reduce or eliminate fall hazard where conventional fall protection systems cannot be used • An example fall protection plan is provided in the OSHA fall protection standard

20. Section 3 Personal Fall Arrest Equipment

21. Equipment Use, Care, and Maintenance • Equipment used: • Body harness • Vertical lifeline or lanyard • Horizontal lifeline • Webbing • Connectors • Anchorages

22. Body Harness • Body harnesses are designed to: • Minimize stress forces • Provides freedom of movement • Minimize force on the body in falls

23. Vertical Lifeline or Lanyard • Vertical lifeline or lanyard must: • Have strength of 5,000 lbs or more • Be protected from being cut or abraded • Be attached to a separate vertical lifeline for each employee • Self-retracting vertical lifelines and lanyards have minimum strength of 3,000 lbs

24. Horizontal Lifeline • Horizontal lifelines: • Designed, installed, and used under supervision • Complete personal fall arrest system

25. Webbing • Ropes and straps used in: • Lifelines • Lanyards • Strength components of body harnesses Webbing must be made from synthetic fibers

26. Connectors • Made of drop-forged, pressed or formed steel, or equivalent material: • Rings and Snap hooks • Minimum tensile strength of 5,000 lbs • Unless designed for it, do not engage to: • Webbing, rope, or wire • Each other • D-ring • Horizontal lifeline • incompatibly shaped object

27. Anchorages • Used in attachment of personal fall arrest equipment: • Must be independent of anchorage • Supports at least 5,000 lbs

28. Section 4 Your Responsibilities

29. Your Responsibilities • Your responsibilities: • Recognize fall hazards in the workplace • Understand the fall protection strategies utilized • Inspect, wear, and store personal fall arrest systems equipment in accordance with training

30. Additional Information • Additional Resources: • Stairways and Ladders: A Guide to OSHA Rules. OSHA Publication 3124, (2003) • Preventing Worker Deaths and Injuries from Falls Through Skylights and Roof Openings. NIOSH Publication No. 90-100, (1989, December) • Plain Language Revision of OSHA Instruction. STD 03-00-001 [STD 3-0.1A], (1999, June18)